30 deaths in rain-related incidents during monsoon: deceased’s kin slam ‘laxity’ on part of civic agencies
Over the past nearly one and a half months of monsoon, Delhi has seen nearly 30 rain-related deaths.
The fatalities include a cab driver who died after a portion of a canopy at IGI Airport fell on him on June 28 and three Civil Services aspirants who drowned in the basement of a coaching institute on July 27 after it got flooded with rainwater.
From June 28 to August 15, the national capital has seen several deaths from electrocution, building collapse, and drowning on days it received heavy rain.
The victims’ families and friends have alleged that these deaths could have been prevented had civic authorities not been negligent in de-silting and covering drains, taking care of exposed electricity wires, and surveying buildings to find which ones were prone to collapsing.
According to the Civil Services aspirants who have been sitting in protest outside the coaching institute at Old Rajinder Nagar, where the three students died last month, most of the redevelopment work is being done “for the camera”.
Vishwajeet, a 26-year-old Civil Services aspirant, said, “Civic authorities have taken up the work of re-laying the drains. But these are piecemeal measures. They have dug one portion of the drain even as the rest of it along the main road remains untouched.”
Asha, a street vendor in the area, said, “They are working just to paint a good picture of themselves before the media. Once the issue is forgotten, the authorities will not look back at these things.”
While the public glare on coaching hubs like Old Rajinder Nagar has forced the authorities to sit up and take note, residents in many other parts of the city have accused the agencies of complete indifference.
Sandeep Kumar, whose friend Rajesh died from electrocution in the Shishmahal Enclave area on June 28 as he came in touch with a pole connected to a bulb, said, “No work has been done on the ground.”
“Residents of Shishmahal Enclave have been protesting ever since the incident took place in a bid to force the government to listen to their grievances. However, our issues remain unresolved,” he added.
Mr. Sandeep said when it rains, they are scared to leave their houses.
“Residents fear getting drowned or being electrocuted. Roads are waterlogged, and many people, as well as animals, have suffered electric shocks,” said Mr. Sandeep.
Residents of Shishmahal Enclave had taken out marches and written to the authorities concerned, but the drains haven’t been cleaned.
B.N. Jha, a member of the Mukherjee Nagar Resident Welfare Association (RWA), told The Hindu, “There is very little proactive action from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Our association has approached the court for action against illegal coaching centres but is little change.”
Passing the buck
Six persons died in Delhi in a 24-hour period ending at 5.30 p.m. on August 1, during which the city received over 100 mm of rainfall. Two of the fatalities were a 23-year-old woman and her three-year-old son. They drowned in an open drain on a waterlogged road in Ghazipur’s Khoda Colony. Since the incident, the MCD and the Delhi Development Authority have traded charges over the incident, with each agency claiming that the responsibility of maintaining the drain lay with the other.
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